We covered a huge number of new artists and tracks at the end of last week, and it looks like we'll be taking a similar approach this week as we hopefully have about 8 features coming in the next 3 days. We'll start off in Sweden, and a singer songwriter who has made a lovely impression with a double single, and has an interesting EP to check out too.
Hildur Höglind is from Johannishus, which is in Blekinge in the South East of Sweden, and as is traditional we google the places we don't know just to remind ourselves how beautiful Sweden is, and Johannishus is very tiny and very beautiful. Receiving a scholarship from the The Royal Music Academy in 2016, she has gone on to win a variety of music awards, and as a result featured at various gigs and Swedish music festivals.
Anyway she is now also actively releasing new material, and whilst originally it was her new track 'Steal her Away' which caught my attention, actually I've been drawn more towards her recent EP release 'Poems'. Containing 5 tracks it contains 3 based around well known poems, plus 2 of her own songs, and the 1st on the EP is possibly my favourite. Elizabeth 1st is generally accepted as being the author of 'On Monsieur's Departure', and Hildur Höglind has sensitively arranged the music, with lovely subtle contributions from violin and cello, and the whole track is carried along with a flowing finger-picking guitar, which suits the age of the poem. As with always her music there is a lovely melody too, and the vocals have a warmth and beauty too. 'Do Not Go Gentle' is based around the famous poem by Dylan Thomas, and it has a darker backdrop, and even though Hildur Höglind's vocals are probably not naturally suited to 'dark melancholy' I think it works well.
'Spiders' in some ways is another darker track and is based on her own words, but again I like the way the track is constructed, and the contributions from strings and wind instruments are thoughtfully arranged, and melodically there is an upbeat feel to the actual music. 'Alone (From Children's Hour)' is based on the Edgar Allan Poe poem, and it remains quite difficult to work through (I think I remember studying it many years ago), but again 'Hildur Höglind' captures the tone well, and it builds with a real intensity as the track progresses, and the electronica elements are really clever. The EP ends with 'The Fault in Our Stars', which I think was also on her 2015 debut EP, and which has really grown on me since I first heard it - a folk pop track which grows with lovely harmonies and rich expressive vocals and an interesting ending.
So following on from 'Poems' 'Hildur Höglind;' has now released 2 tracks, 'Steal Her Away' and 'Colour Queen', and my favourite of the 2 is definitely 'Steal Her Away', it is shamelessly catchy and easy to like, and whilst it doesn't have the depth of her 'Poems' songs, it's a really obvious choice to put on your latest music playlists. I'd recommend you do that, and then perhaps get into the detail of 'Poems' when you have a quiet hour.
The good news for UK readers is that Hildur Höglind has made it to the UK previously (she toured with UK singer songwriter Sam Lyon, they played some lovely venues such as 'The Bedford' and even came to Macclesfield) and she is planning another UK tour, so we'll make sure we post up any dates when they're announced.